


The Emperor's Gift

by theweddingofthefoxes



Series: The Glowing Sun and Faithful Moon [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Fluff, Gifts, M/M, boy emperor au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 01:43:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8948674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theweddingofthefoxes/pseuds/theweddingofthefoxes
Summary: Has it already been twenty years since Kylo Ren entered his Emperor's service? It feels like it's been no time at all.





	

Ren frowns at the box that was brought to his quarters. Wrapped in gold paper and tied with a red ribbon. It isn’t his birthday, and the nearest Imperial holiday is weeks away. What is this for? Is it even for him?

A small card tucked inside the box confirms that yes, this is for him. It reads:

_Ren,_

_It is twenty years to the day since you were brought to me. It seemed like an occasion worth celebrating. Know that your years of service are appreciated by the Empire, and it is my hope that you will continue to serve me until the end of your days._

It is not signed, but it has Hux’s seal on it. Ren’s breath catches in his throat.

Twenty years, already? Ren can remember the day he was given to the Empire as clearly as if it were that morning. Even so young, his ability to tap into the Force–to use it–was so evident, and the then-emperor, Brendol, wanted a guard that would grow up with his son Armitage. A powerful guard, one who could offset his son’s apparent weakness. If they are raised together like brothers, he reasoned, the guard will not hesitate to defend him like one. And so it went. Though it was clear from day one that Armitage was superior in rank, that he would have to please him, Ren found his fear and suspicion give way to tolerance, and quickly to fondness, and then love. 

It helped that the heir was in awe of Ren’s mastery of the Force, and his easy grace, how quickly he rose up through the ranks of the Imperial guard. By fifteen, Ren was one of the most feared and admired personal guards in the Imperial household, and Armitage was proud to call him his. “My father’s guards are nothing in comparison,” Armitage had told him in private, when they were at their lessons together. (Brendol did not want his son attended by, in his words, a stupid brute, and insisted that Ren be educated. “He should have military knowledge. Strategic knowledge. Knowledge of history, so he knows what sort of things to defend the heir against.”) Ren knew this was true–this wasn’t him being boastful, he knew that he could take any of them on with ease. But to hear it from Armitage’s mouth…

Things changed a bit, when Brendol died. Armitage was twenty, and suddenly burdened with the responsibility of ruling. And Ren learned that guarding the Emperor meant more than killing would-be assassins, or rooting out spies, or screening those who might be allowed in his presence. It also meant protecting the Emperor from himself, when he wanted to overwork himself, comforting him when he took responsibility for things that he could not have possibly prevented, telling no one what he saw or did when the pressure (very rarely, but surely it would happen, maybe once a year) became too much and the Emperor took to his private chambers to cry angry, helpless tears. 

Ren took the little card and put it aside to keep somewhere safe, then went through the contents of the box.

New garb, beautiful and heavy and sturdy. Worthy of the Emperor’s personal guard. Everything, gloves and cape and boots. Even finer than what the other guards wore. _They are nothing in comparison…_

Ren thought of the very first time he had met Armitage, who was older but smaller, skinnier, pale and all wrist and bony knees. Neither of them were shy but both of them were shy in the presence of each other. Ren, whose name had been different before his Imperial renaming, which was still a few days off, was still shaken by having been taken away from his parents, and hated himself for having the Force, because it was the Force’s fault that he had been taken away and brought here before this stern Imperial strange and this boy he didn’t even know. But the Armitage finally said, not overly kind but far warmer than anyone else he’d met, “Is it true, what you can do? My father says you can do something hardly anybody else can.”

Ren nodded, not wanting to speak. 

“Will you show me?” the boy asked him. 

This time Ren nodded with a smile. He had been told he was meeting royalty, and it did not occur to him that royalty would ask rather than command. The fact it was a question was endearing. 

“Think about something really hard,” Ren said, barely above a whisper. “But don’t say it.”

The thought was easy to find, Armitage wanted it to be found. Ren couldn’t help but smile, though he put his hand over his mouth to hide it. “You’re thinking I need some better clothes to be here,” Ren said. There was no sting to the thought and so Ren didn’t even think to be insulted.

“You’re right!” Armitage almost shouted. “But don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get some. I’ll command it. You’ll look so elegant.”

Ren now took the gifted clothing in both hands, held it close. Twenty years. He would have to thank the Emperor first thing upon seeing him today, his darling Emperor. More than his brother, and more than his liege. What was that, that he was? Ren didn’t know. But it didn’t matter.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm collecting all my Boy Emperor Hux stories from [Tumblr](http://theweddingofthefoxes.tumblr.com/tagged/boy-emperor-hux) on my Ao3! This was the first one that came from a lil prompt, and people really seemed to like it. Thanks so much to the anon who sent me the idea because I got REALLY inspired.


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